Betty Crocker...I think NOT!

Today we were stranded in the house. Steve's car was getting some body work done so he took my car to work, leaving the kids and me with the stroller. I thought we might venture out, but after both kids woke up coughing and with runny noses...I decided it was best to just stay inside. As you know from previous posts, a day home with my two kids is torturous without lots of activities.


So after our breakfast routine, we showered (I was hoping that would help their drainage...it didn't). Then Bennett and I made Christmas cookies. They were made for Preston's class Christmas party tomorrow, which I doubt he'll be able to attend. We made the dough and did the cut-outs and baking in the morning. Then napped and did the decorating this afternoon. As you can see, I am not Betty Crocker. Though the cookies look awful, they taste pretty good. Thankfully the audience tomorrow (a bunch of one year olds) shouldn't mind what they look like!

Two weeks off from our mothers day out program....what shall we do????

Updates on the Children

As 2009 wraps up, Preston is 15 months old and Bennett is 2.5 years old. They are both happy kids, and show obvious love towards one another and us daily. Though every day is not a walk in the park, they do play nicely most days and kiss and hug each other often (which are some of my favorite moments).

Bennett talks like crazy and her vocabulary continues to grow. She is singing several songs on her own (and fairly well): Jesus Loves Me, The ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle and now Jingle Bells. She still loves to read her books, and now enjoys "reading" to Preston before his afternoon nap. She has been potty trained for over 2 months now, and has very few accidents. She still has a pretty good appetite and eats most foods (with the exception of vegetables). She continues to get taller, but has become stagnant on the scale, weighing 28.5 lbs last week. She is very defiant and stubborn (don't know where she gets this from....), but is a very sweet little girl and makes me laugh every day with something she says or does. She LOVES to go to the doctor and doesn't cry when he checks her out, nor when she gets shots (she is very brave). Just so you know, we are letting her hair continue to grow, and I have given up with cutting her bangs every other week, so we are going to let them grow out too (just so you know in photos to come). If her hair continues to grow as quickly has it has been, perhaps she'll be able to be donate it to "Locks of Love" sometime in the future.

My little man, is shaping up to be a very good boy. Though he still has at least one night a week where he gets up in the middle of the night and needs to be rocked, he is so lovable and sweet. He loves to give kisses to everyone, and I love to tell him before bed to go give his Daddy and Bennett a kiss. He runs to them and kisses them and then runs back to his bedroom so he can get his "ba-ba." He loves to take showers/baths with anyone, and is definitely the cleanest person in the house because he baths with whoever is taking one! He is the WORST eater (I swear he thinks he could survive on crackers), but he does have a few staples in his diet and thankfully he enjoys breakfast. He typically only eats waffles, oatmeal, yogurt, mac-n-cheese, french fries, fish sticks, sometimes chicken nuggets, anything sweet, and of course any type of cracker! Because of his awful diet, we have resorted to giving him baby food for his vegetables and fruits (which his pediatrician says is just fine for those wondering). He weighs 26 lbs 1 oz, and his about 6-7 inches shorter than Bennett. He can say about 10 words, and is otherwise communicating by pointing, shaking his head or whining. We think he is starting to look more and more like Steve, and thankfully I think he has more of his personality than mine.

Both children have given us so much joy, and keep us busy (and tired). Thankfully they are both healthy and happy!

Christmas Miracle

It was a Christmas miracle this morning when we went to visit Santa and neither child cried. The line was somewhat long, so we didn't know what to expect since we had been at church all morning, and both kids were ready for lunch and a nap. But we were happily surprised when Bennett walked right up to him, and Preston just stared at him while Steve lifted him into his lap.

All was going well until Santa began talking to Pres, then he wanted down and fast! Bennett stayed up there while he tried to talk to her, but she became shy and clammed up. We had been rehearsing for a week what she was going to tell Santa, and how she was going to leave him cookies on Christmas Eve, but we got nothing. Oh well....at least there wasn't a huge meltdown.

A New Year, A New Chapter

We are happy to annouce that Steve has accepted a new job that he will be starting a week from Monday! He was approached by his old mentor back in July, and the details and offer were finally agreed upon back in November. Though he had a great run with his last job at Brice Building, he is excited for the challenge that KBR will offer him.

KBR is a global engineering and construction company that bought out a local construction company (BE & K) a couple of years ago. They are based in Houston, but are starting up a power division that will be located here in Birmingham. Steve will be doing business development for that new area, something that he has done before and enjoyed. He will be traveling some, but his territory has not been hammered out completely so we are unsure how often and to where.

This new career change is something that should offer him many opportunities in the future, and we are all thrilled! For those few people who knew this was in the works, we thank you for your prayers and support.

2009 SEC CHAMPIONS!!

WOOO HOOO! Alabama beat Florida today (32 - 13) and became the SEC Champions! Now they are headed to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl! We may be going, but if not...we'll be there in spirit and definitely watching it! We are so proud!

Another Dusting

This morning we awoke to a light dusting of snow. It was only the 13th time in the past 109 years, and my third time in 3 years (so much for global warming). After we bundled up, the kids and I (including Spence) walked a couple of blocks to watch the Homewood Santa Parade. Thankfully it wasn't as long as Peoria's parade because it was colder here this morning than it was in Peoria.

As soon as we got to our chosen destination, Bennett wanted out so she could start collecting candy. However, instead of putting into a bag, she decided to eat each piece she picked up. After a couple of pieces, I told her "no more" which went over like a ton of bricks. Preston is my child with the biggest sweet tooth (not that Bennett doesn't like sweets, he just likes them SOOO much more), so when he saw what Bennett was eating...he wanted some too. So by 9:30 both of my children were on complete sugar highs (which was on top of their waffles and syrup earlier)!

Since they both enjoyed suckers, and the drool from them went all over their hands, face, coats, etc, we left as soon as we spotted Santa and came home to shower. Steve went to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta today, so we were on our own. Staying home all day doesn't bode well for my nerves, nor the kid's so we did a little Christmas shopping and then went to lunch. Bennett ordered a pizza, and ate the entire thing, while Preston slept on the seat of the booth through most of the lunch.

We made it home just in time for naps, and for me to watch the AL-FL game. Roll Tide Roll!